Dell XPS 15z: Thinnest 15-inch PC On The Planet

Dell: The XPS 15z is, “The thinnest 15-inch PC on the planet,” according to Dell. The 15z does look sexy thin.

But, the hardware industrial design reminds me of HP. And HP designs remind me of Apple. In a world filled with brilliant designers, material science engineers, mechanical engineers, etc. I wonder why the very best notebook designs coming out of HP and Dell all look very similar to Apple’s MacBook Pros.

Would it be an exaggeration to claim Dell and HP are in the business of copying Apple’s overall designs for their notebooks? Or maybe all of these brilliant designers and engineers are moving in sync toward a singular optimal hardware design for notebooks? I think there is plenty of room left for creativity in the space of notebook hardware industrial design. Designs that have little resemblance to today’s MacBook Pros.

By the way, The Dell XPS 15z is not the thinnest 15-inch PC on the planet. The XPS 15z is 0.02 inches fatter (0.97 inches) than the two-year old 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Being thin isn’t everything. I would think Dell would have realized that. Unfortunately by pushing the envelope and not quite getting there it seems Dell is making itself out to be incompetent in both notebook hardware design and marketing. If Dell had been a bit more specific and claim the 15z as the thinnest 15.6-inch notebook PC on the planet… (The MacBook Pro has a 15.4-inch display.)

There is one thing, well two: the XPS 15z trumps the 15-inch MacBook Pro in one important area. The XPS 15z display has a 1920×1080 pixel format. The 15-inch MacBook Pro maxes out at 1680×1050.

And the other is price: the Dell XPS 15z will start at US$1534, which is much lower than that of a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Update: The starting price is even lower at $999.

If you’ve been looking for a thin and light 15-inch notebook PC but balked at the high entry price of the MacBook Pro, the Dell XPS 15z might be your cup of tea. Just don’t be fooled into thinking it’s the thinnest.